Ning Shu’s tears fell once more, and with them surged a temper she could no longer restrain.
All her temper had previously been nonexistent in front of Fu Yanshen.
In their two years of marriage, before this moment, she had never once lost her temper with Fu Yanshen. It could be said that in his presence, she simply had no temper.
Perhaps, as Xie Jinghong had said, she had knelt for so long that she could no longer stand up.
But this time, she couldn’t control her temper.
Whether it was because she wanted to stand up or because of the pregnancy, she didn’t know.
In any case, Ning Shu desperately wanted to vent her anger.
And vent she did. “Speak! Why aren’t you saying anything? Have you gone mute?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she herself was shocked. Had she… just called Fu Yanshen mute?
Fu Yanshen was equally taken aback.
From childhood to adulthood, Ning Shu had always been proud, even willful—a true young lady with a notorious temper, famously known in their circles as a thorny rose.
Yet in front of him, she had always been incredibly gentle, as if eager to offer him every good thing she possessed.
So, had all that previous gentleness, obedience, and excessive kindness toward him been an act?
Was she now tired of pretending after so long, or simply unwilling to keep up the facade?
Fu Yanshen turned to look at her with a hint of astonishment. Seeing her exquisitely beautiful face streaked with tears, he felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.
Her demeanor made it seem as though he had greatly wronged her.
Fu Yanshen’s own temper flared, and he replied irritably, “I don’t like it, and I don’t want to wear it.”
His response left Ning Shu momentarily stunned.
Fu Yanshen had never spoken to her in such a tone before.
He had always been aloof, decisive, ruthless, cold, reserved, stubborn, steady—a somewhat paternal, old-guard figure who inspired awe.
This reply lacked his usual steadiness and instead carried a hint of petulance.
After a brief pause, Ning Shu’s anger surged even higher. “So, do I enjoy taking medicine?”
Fu Yanshen grew even more irritated. He despised conversations like this—they felt like childish games.
He fell silent, frustration mounting as he picked up the cigarette box from the center console, pulled out a cigarette, and brought it to his lips.
But Ning Shu snapped, “Don’t smoke!”
Her voice was loud and urgent, thick with tension.
Fu Yanshen’s hand paused mid-air, his expression darkening menacingly. He raised an eyebrow, clearly displeased. “What? Now you’re trying to control my smoking too? Ning Shu, have I spoiled you so much that you think you can dictate anything?”
Ning Shu stared at him with crimson eyes and laughed bitterly. “You spoiled me? You really did spoil me.”
The sarcasm was unmistakable, and Fu Yanshen couldn’t possibly miss it.
He grew even more annoyed and furious. He disliked getting entangled in such pointless back-and-forth with Ning Shu.
These meaningless exchanges, one sentence after another, served no purpose!
What was the point?!
Fu Yanshen ignored her, biting down on the cigarette, rolling down the window, and reaching for the lighter.
Ning Shu was thoroughly provoked and frantic. Stamping her foot, she cried out, “Fu Yanshen, I said don’t smoke!”
Fu Yanshen had already lit the lighter, the flame just millimeters away from igniting the cigarette.
He hadn’t expected Ning Shu to react like this.
His hand froze, and he shifted his gaze to her. She was furious, on the verge of tears, her eyes brimming as droplets fell one by one.
For some reason, she seemed like a child throwing a tantrum when she couldn’t get her way—stamping her feet and crying.
Fu Yanshen felt an overwhelming wave of irritation, yet he also found her behavior oddly amusing.
Like a lion with its fur bristling.
She had never acted like this in front of him before.
Though amusing, it inexplicably fueled his frustration and anger even further.
But the way she was crying made it seem as if he had done something to her…
It was annoying.
Fu Yanshen released the lighter, and the burning flame went out.
He took the cigarette he was holding between his lips and placed it back into the cigarette case.
Perhaps he was still somewhat irritated. When he looked up again, he saw Ning Shu’s tears still falling.
Fu Yanshen frowned and tossed both the cigarette case and lighter out of the car window.
His actions seemed like an outburst of temper, as if he were retorting to Ning Shu, “Is this enough now?”
But he didn’t say a word. Instead, with a dark expression, he opened the car door and prepared to step out.
Ning Shu, however, said, “You still haven’t answered me!”
Fu Yanshen, who had already stepped out of the car, paused, turned around impatiently, and looked down at Ning Shu. “There’s no ‘what if’ to this question.”
Ning Shu was taken aback, her heart aching. She forced a faint smile. “So you’re saying you don’t plan on having a child with me?”
This question seemed to genuinely stump Fu Yanshen.
He probably hadn’t considered it before.
He didn’t speak, just leaned in from outside the car door, watching her in silence.
After a moment, he got back into the car, stared straight ahead, and said, “If you’re pregnant, you’re pregnant. If you’re not, you’re not. What’s with all these ‘what ifs’? You’re just being overly sentimental, asking pointless questions. You’ve taken the pill—how could you possibly be pregnant? Even if you were, it definitely wouldn’t be kept.”
Ning Shu ignored his words and averted her gaze, refusing to look at his face. Staring straight ahead, she said, “I’m asking you, if I were pregnant too, would you still expect me to take care of Meng Xuan?”
Fu Yanshen was momentarily stunned and turned to look at her.
Ning Shu also turned to face him. Her eyes and the tip of her nose were still red, her fragile, sorrowful beauty enough to break anyone’s heart.
Fu Yanshen remained silent for several seconds, instinctively reaching for a cigarette before realizing… he had thrown them away.
“What’s the point of all this?” Fu Yanshen stared at her, his eyes filled with extreme impatience and anger.
Ning Shu stared back. “I just want to ask. Whether it’s meaningful or not, I still want to ask. What? Am I not even allowed to ask questions anymore?”
Fu Yanshen grew even more displeased, his anger simmering in his eyes.
But this time, Ning Shu didn’t back down.
After a moment, Fu Yanshen finally relented and said, “You’ve always been sensible, never causing a fuss. Can’t you try to understand Meng Xuan’s situation? Why insist on asking such meaningless questions? What answer are you even looking for? You’re not pregnant, are you? Why keep pushing and asking ‘what if’? Isn’t this just making trouble for no reason, stirring up pointless conversations?”
“Are you still avoiding the question?” Ning Shu said. “I don’t care if it’s pointless or not—I just want to ask, and I want your answer! I want to know, if I were pregnant too, would you still demand that I take care of Meng Xuan? Or would you take care of her yourself instead?”
“You’re being unreasonable, illogical, and downright stubborn!” With those words, Fu Yanshen made to leave the car again.
Ning Shu suddenly grabbed him. “Say whatever you want about me, but I want an answer. I want to hear you say it yourself.”
Perhaps it was Ning Shu’s unwavering persistence and refusal to back down that finally made Fu Yanshen speak up. He said, “I really don’t understand what you’re trying to do. You keep saying you consider Fang Chen a brother, but now that he’s gone, his wife is carrying his child—his only flesh and blood. Instead of thinking about how to carefully care for Meng Xuan, comfort her, and help her through this darkest moment in her life, ensuring that the only legacy Fang Chen left behind comes into this world healthy and safe…
You insist on fixating on me at this very moment, as if I shouldn’t have brought Meng Xuan here to care for her. Ning Shu, don’t you think you’re being absurd? Don’t you think that even if I hadn’t brought Meng Xuan here, you should have taken the initiative to offer to care for her properly?!”
It was unclear whether Fu Yanshen truly couldn’t understand Ning Shu’s feelings or if he had been avoiding the issue all along.
As a result, his tone was far from pleasant when he spoke these words, filled with palpable anger.